Lowell: A different view of rivalry

I look at the Yankees differently than most people here in Boston. There were a lot of people in that organization who were extremely helpful in getting me to the big leagues and establishing my career. There are a lot of good guys in that organization whom I really respect.

I still want to beat them, of course, like everybody else here in Boston, but because there are so many people there who I do have strong and special feelings for, the rivalry is a little different to me. There are people in the Yankees' organization who went out of their way to help me.

I played for the Yankees in 1998 as a rookie. While I only played eight games with New York, I'd been drafted by the organization in '95. I was traded to Florida in 1999 and I've played here in Boston the last two years. But even though I last wore pinstripes nine years ago, it doesn't seem that long ago to me.

It's fun being in a competitive rivalry with the Yankees, but I certainly don't harbor any ill feelings towards the organization. It's fun being in a division race with them.

Most players at least say they don't pay much attention, but I'm a big scoreboard watcher. I've always been a scoreboard watcher. I scoreboard watch in April. It's not like I need to know what the Yankees are doing at every moment, in fact I don't even necessarily check them first. I just like knowing what's going on in baseball because I'm a fan of baseball. I'm interested in all of the division races.

All-Star third baseman Mike Lowell and the rest of his Red Sox face the Yankees six more times this season. Lowell, originally selected by New York in the 1995 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida International University, made his Major League debut with the Yankees on Sept. 13, 1998.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.